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New Englanders brace for 'historic' snowstorm

By Michael Hartwell, mhartwell@sentinelandenterprise.com

Updated:
02/08/2013 08:30:55 AM EST

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/STEVE SHERIDAN
Mike Naughton, 33, of Fitchburg, stocks the freezers at Market Basket on Water Street on Thursday morning for the steady stream of customers ready to be snowed in for the weekend.

FITCHBURG -- Rolling a shopping cart brimming with groceries out of the Water Street Market Basket Thursday afternoon, Giulianna D'Angelo said she's ready for what some are calling a blizzard of historic proportions.

She bought the same foods she normally gets -- fish, canned food and bread. On Thursday, she just bought a little bit more.

"We shouldn't lose power, but you never know," said D'Angelo, of Fitchburg.

D'Angelo, and hundreds of other shoppers throughout the region, were willing to wade through thick crowds clogging aisles and waiting in checkout lines -- all in the name of preparing for the storm.

"It's been like this all day, and it's probably going to be like this all night," said Kent Warner, the Market Basket manager. The store will stay open Friday, but that could change depending on its severity.

Grocery shoppers weren't the only ones planning ahead.

By Thursday afternoon, today's classes had already been canceled at Fitchburg State University, Mount Wachusett Community College, Fitchburg and Leominster schools and Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, among others.

Alan Dunham, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, said the Fitchburg area can expect 18 to 24 inches of snow. Widespread power failures were feared, along with flooding in coastal areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy in October.

"This one doesn't come along every day. This is going to be a dangerous winter storm," said Dunham.

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"Wherever you need to get to, get there by Friday afternoon and don't plan on leaving."

The snow is currently forecast to begin falling on Friday morning, picking up in intensity during the afternoon with the heaviest Friday night into early Saturday. Winds up to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph combined with heavy snowfall are expected to make travel dangerous.

"We hope forecasts are exaggerating the amount of snow, but you never can tell," he said.

SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE/ JOHN LOVE
Jessica Soto of Fitchburg packs up her car after shopping at the Market Basket on Water Street.

In New England, it could prove to be among the top 10 snowstorms in history, and perhaps even break Boston's record of 27.6 inches, set in 2003, forecasters said. The last major snowfall in southern New England was well over a year ago -- the Halloween storm of 2011.

Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to announce if non-emergency state workers will be asked to stay at home Friday or released early.

Kathy Heintz, director of community investment for the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, said they rolled out their Emergency Shelter program for the homeless on Thursday morning. The program reimburses local agencies to allow them to rent motel rooms during snowy or cold winter weather.

Participating agencies include the Montachusett Opportunity Council in Fitchburg, the Spanish American Center in Leominster and Our Father's House homeless outreach and shelter organization.

Fitchburg Department of Public Works workers spent Thursday mounting plow blades on the dump trucks and making any minor repairs to keep the fleet rolling.

"We're ready, bring it on," said Lenny Laakso, Fitchburg's public works commissioner.

Most public works employees ended their day at 3 p.m. and were told to get some rest for Friday and Saturday.

"We know it's going to be a long, drawn out storm," said Laakso.

He said the city will be in a snow emergency as of noon today. The plows will start scraping off the snow when accumulation reaches about two inches.

During the storm, most snow will be pushed to the side, but for narrow areas like in front of the senior center and courthouse the snow will be trucked away and dumped in a sand pit by the airport.

Leominster Grants Administrator Wendy Wiiks said the Leominster Office of Emergency Management will be open throughout the storm. If an emergency shelter is needed, cots will be set up in the gymnasium of Southeast Elementary School on Viscoloid Avenue.

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